The present invention relates to an article with a visual code which can visually and directly convey a message to humans, and can indirectly convey information linked to the message to humans by using an apparatus with an optical reading function, a visual code reading apparatus for reading such a visual code, and an information conveying method of visually and directly conveying a message to humans and indirectly conveying information linked to the message to humans by using an apparatus with an optical reading function.
A barcode (one-dimensional code) and a QR code (trademark) (two-dimensional code) are conventionally known as codes to be attached to an article or a product. The barcode is formed by arranging line segments in one direction, and it can be read by a line scanner. The QR code is formed by arranging dots on the two-dimensional plane, and it can be read by a scanner designed specifically for reading QR codes, or a mobile device with a built-in camera in which a software for reading QR codes is installed, etc.
It is easy for an apparatus with an optical reading function, such as a scanner, to read information from the array of line segments in the barcode or the array of dots in the QR code. However, it is impossible or difficult for humans to read information form it. It looks like a meaningless striped pattern or a cluster of dots arranged in random order for humans. Namely, neither the barcode nor the QR code expresses any messages which can be visually recognized or read by humans.
Therefore, each of the barcode and the QR code cannot attract any interest of buyers who browse products, even though, when it is attached to the products, it occupies a certain area of the surface of each product. In fact, attaching the barcode or the QR code to the products deteriorates the design of the products and reduces the appeal of the products.
In contrast to this, a visual code described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4629788 can express both of information which can be easily and accurately read by an apparatus with an optical reading function, such as a scanner, and a message which can be visually recognized or read by humans, on a two-dimensional plane at the same time. The visual code is a code wherein a symbol arrangement pattern, which comprises a single symbol pattern or a plurality of symbol patterns which express a message which can be visually recognized by humans, is formed by selecting one or more than one region from among a plurality of regions arranged like a grid in a two-dimensional space, and placing a pattern element with a predetermined shape in each of the selected regions; each of the regions where the pattern element is placed so as to form the symbol arrangement pattern among the plurality of regions in the two-dimensional space indicates ON; each of the regions where the pattern element is not placed so as to form the symbol arrangement pattern among the plurality of regions in the two-dimensional space indicates OFF; and linked information which is different from the message is linked to binary information which is specified by the regions indicating ON and the regions indicating OFF, corresponds to the symbol arrangement pattern, and can be recognized by an apparatus with an optical reading function (see claim 1 and FIG. 2 of Japanese Patent Publication No. 4629788). Since the visual code can express a message which can be visually recognized or read by humans, it is possible to increase the design, appeal or allure of an article or a product to which the visual code is attached.
In order to express various messages in various ways, it is desirable to be able to include images, illustrations or photographs in a code attached to an article. If images, illustrations or photographs can be included as a medium for expressing a message in the visual code described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4629788, it is possible to increase the design, appeal or allure of an article.
However, it is difficult to include images, illustrations or photographs in the visual code because the visual code described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4629788 uses, as a medium for expressing a massage, a symbol pattern or a symbol arrangement pattern formed by placing pattern elements in regions arranged in the form of a grid.